Supplementary Commentary on 'Legendary Actress-Rocker: Momoe Yamaguchi': [Playback Part 1]
Clarifying the First-Person Consciousness in 'Playback Part 1'
Until now, I (LETITA) have traced the 'sanctuary of voice' that the rare performer Momoe Yamaguchi reached during her short career, dividing it into three phases: [Actress Bodhisattva Chapter], [Rock Ashura Chapter], [Mythic Muse Chapter]. Please refer to the following for each.
Please refer to the following for each.
There, while enhancing the expressive power to narrate a song, the situation where the first-person 'watashi' was tuned as a sound was observed many times. And when the long journey of 30 songs across those three chapters ended, there were a few songs left behind. I would like to take up one of them this time. When lyrics are presented, if the singer sees 'watashi' (私) there, they will pronounce it as 'watashi' unless specifically instructed otherwise by the lyricist. Momoe Yamaguchi always did this in her early days as well. However, as you can tell from her live MCs,
her everyday self-reference (first-person pronoun) is 'atashi'. And after she started singing the 'Agi/Uzaki works,' she began to pronounce 'watashi' as 'atashi' with considerable frequency. It is natural to think that this distinction within the songs was made quite consciously. This is because they can be classified into songs pronounced as 'watashi' from beginning to end ('watashi' songs) and songs pronounced as 'atashi' ('atashi' songs). However, even so, there exists a third group of songs where the two pronunciations coexist in some songs.
'Playback Part 1'
While hidden in the shadow of the explosive hit song 'Part 2,' it is actually a song that occupies an extremely precarious and decisive position. In this song, Momoe Yamaguchi simultaneously lives as three versions of herself: 'the woman telling of the past,' 'the woman who was acting in the past,' and 'the woman who is now blaming that past self.' And that fissure is clearly etched into the sound as the tuning of the first-person
'watashi'. In this article, based on the 'first-person = depth of consciousness' theory we have built up so far, I will unravel the mystery of the 'watashi' pronunciation choices hidden in this song. This is not just a singing analysis. It is a story tracing the transition of consciousness of a young girl who, while wandering the abyss of acting, true feelings, and internal tuning, obtained the wings to become an unparalleled performer. And there is one more thing; actually, this song has
an important, unknown secret
. I would like to reveal that secret at the end as well.
Below, I include Yoko Agi's original lyrics as they are. (From 'Playback PART III')
That was a midsummer event
I'm going to tell you now
Please don't
cry for me
'Listen, okay?'
A distant season in my memories Play Back
A young season when I learned pain Play Back
With a cool demeanor I told a lie
Lovers I've had, more than I can count on my fingers
I'm a fool, to say such a thing back then
That was a midsummer event
In that child's arms
Loving and being loved
Days spent dreaming and swaying
A love that burned hearing the roar of the tide Play Back
Sand that touched my bare skin gently Play Back
That night was my first time, I...
Do you want to hear the rest?
I and what happened to him after that
Since then, no calls or letters have come
I'm a fool, I am still waiting
That was a midsummer event
Back then, I just got too excited
And acted like a grown woman
If I could do it once more, yes, with him Play Back
If I could meet him once more, I'd tell him Play Back
This time with an honest heart
'I want to Play Back'
I'll tell him
I...
Chapter 1: The Drama of the Three-Layer Consciousness Structure and the Afterimage of 'Actress' Acting
'Playback Part 1' has a decisively different structure from 'Part 2,' which became an explosive hit with acting that directly unleashed emotions. The drama is a monologue by the woman who is the protagonist. The tone is casual, but the content being told is
a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the woman, and a painful memory at that, and furthermore, it is a monologue in a state where that wound has not yet completely healed, which is a situation that requires highly difficult and delicate emotional expression.
Lyrics by Yoko Aki, with composition and arrangement by the master hitmaker Koji Makaino. The arrangement in particular features orchestration reminiscent of a baroque opera from the intro, and Momoe Yamaguchi sings with an awareness of that worldview. Yes, this song is an opera. In other words, it was a stage device designed to draw out the maximum charm of a rare talent who was both a star singer and a top actress. Listening to it again, I think you can understand just how perfected the worldview of this song was.
Record company producer Mr. Sakai, having seen Momoe Yamaguchi win the Japan Record Awards Vocalist Award the previous year for the hitmaker Masashi Sada's work 'Cosmos' but fall short of the Grand Prix, decided to go for a bold dramaturgy and acting-style vocal performance for this summer (1978) single, 'Playback'. The lyrics that Yoko Aki submitted to meet those expectations were a highly difficult dramatic monologue that could only be performed by an actress, a dramatic monologue that, if it hit the mark (like Naomi Chiaki's 'Kassai'), would become a final weapon of a work.
Perhaps the production team thought they could shock the public by nakedly lyricizing the transformation of Momoe Yamaguchi from a shadowed girl into a bold and stimulating adult through candid lyrics.
Therefore, both 'Part 1' and 'Part 2' share the common theme of a dramatic exchange between the protagonist and a man on a certain night. Both are dramas that boldly and straightforwardly expose a situation that would normally be kept secret: playing back (reminiscing) about an interaction with a partner after having a relationship with a younger man (as indicated by the terms 'that child' and 'boy').
However, 'Part 1' was ultimately not released as a single, and that role was entrusted to a more extreme, fast-paced rock-style song, and 'Part 2' was released instead. Please refer to the following for the details of this sequence of events.
In this song 'Part 1', the subjectivity of the protagonist 'I' depicts a complex mental landscape where three layers overlap: 'myself as the current narrator,' 'myself reminiscing about the fake performance of the past,' and 'myself tormented by self-reproach within that'complex mental landscape.Considering this mental landscape woven by subtle subjectivity, it becomes clear that this song is an internal drama that depicts
the process of avoiding the exposure of acting and having one's true self leak out.What is important here is the law of the first-person pronoun for Momoe Yamaguchi.
'Watashi' (I): The self of roles, acting, posturing, and interpersonal relationships (Actress Bodhisattva mode)
'Atashi' (I): The self of emotions, body, confession, introspection, and true feelings (Rock Ashura mode)
Using this standard as a clue, I will examine each point of the lyrics.
Chapter 2: Self-reproach in the 'Acting Impossible Zone'
① The present judging the bravado of the past
With a cool demeanor, I told a lie.
Lovers I've had, more than I have fingers on both hands.
How foolish of me to say such a thing back then.
What is being recalled in the first half of the song is the fact that the protagonist told a lie that night. Its essence is condensed into the single phrase that follows: "How foolish of me." In other words, she is not merely objectively stating that she "told a lie," but rather, the current version of herself is blaming the version of herself who told a lie feigning extensive experience, perhaps out of bravado or pride toward a younger man. This "I" is imbued with regret and self-reproach. When the regret, frustration, and self-reproach of the character being portrayed seep in, her first-person pronoun
shifts to "atashi" to avoid exposing her own "performance (watashi)" (a choice made unconsciously).
② Bodily Memory and Confession
That night was my first time, I...
Is this not a realm where no mask can function anymore? In fact, this is the moment when the direct and physical memory of it being her first experience, and the shyness of having hidden that fact with bravado, surface. The choice of subjectivity here can be thought of as changing depending on her state of mind at the time: whether she becomes "atashi," the first-person pronoun reflexively emitted by the body, or whether she goes with "watashi," the performative singing style that dares to maintain the bravado. (The recording studio version used "atashi," while the Last Concert version used "watashi.")
③ Stagnant Lingering Attachment
Do you want to hear the rest? About what happened to
me and him after that?
Since then, neither calls nor letters have come.
How foolish of me, I am still waiting.
The recollection in the latter half is of her current self, who, as time has passed since that summer night, continues to wait for word from him, looking pathetic yet poignant. To wrap this in a performance of "self-mockery," the lingering attachment of "I want to see you again" is raw. In a state where emotions are stagnant and she has not been able to sort out her feelings, she likely exposed her naked self as "atashi" to avoid exposing her performance. That functions as a realistic performance. It also contains the same feelings of self-reproach and self-admonition as in ①.
Chapter 3: Departure from the Jealousy Sphere and Attempts at "Redesign"
④ Self-Direction Toward the Future
This time, with an honest heart
I'll say to him, 'I want to Play Back.'
I will tell him.
I...
This first-person pronoun placed at the end of the song has a different phase from the previous three. In the 'I' used until now, because of the contradiction where the performance creates a sense of calculation, the performer gracefully discards the 'watashi' (performance) and transforms into the 'atashi' (essence). Or, the performative 'watashi' is abandoned from the start.
On the other hand, what we have here isa shift in feelings and a resolution toward a future that has not yet happenedIn other words,a redesign of the self, saying 'Next time, I will act like my honest self'is taking place. It is thought that such a judgment gives rise to an intellectual rationality that differs from temporary emotions, which naturally evokes the first-person pronoun 'watashi'.
While (1) through (3) were in a 'muddy zone' where it is difficult to make a performance look real, and the more one tries to perform well, the more the self-conscious self gets in the way (though (2) can also be a deliberate performance), (4) is a return to a 'zone where performance becomes possible,' where one intellectually draws up a blueprint of 'how I want to be.'The theme of 'Playback Part 1' as a whole is that 'intense regret and self-reproach toward one's past self' for 'why I couldn't act honestly at that time' is what drove the first-person pronoun toward 'atashi'.muddy zonezone where performance becomes possible
intense regret and self-reproach toward one's past selfatashi
Conclusion: Prelude to the Ashura
The conclusion derived from the above analysis is as follows.
Perhaps this placement of the first-person pronoun was the trajectory of the 'reciprocal movement of consciousness' that the muse Momoe Yamaguchi set in motion, or spun unconsciously.trajectory of the 'reciprocal movement of consciousness'And it is thought that it was precisely because of this 'first-person tuning foundation' in the performative singing of 'Playback Part 1' that the manifestation of the 'Rock Ashura'—who completely unleashes her true self—in 'Part 2' was realized.
first-person tuning foundationthe manifestation of the 'Rock Ashura' who completely unleashes her true self in 'Part 2' was realized
Final Chapter: The Hidden Origin of 'Playback Part 1'
I have interpreted 'Playback Part 1' as an internal consciousness structure of the song, but finally, I would like to place this song back on the timeline.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I believe there was another important theme hidden in this song. It is that this song is not only a 'song regretting the past' but also a 'return song to one's former self.' That is why 'Playback' had a double meaning.important theme hiddenreturn song to one's former self'Playback' had a double meaningIn fact, it can be considered an answer song to her early hits. It is her fifth single, released in June 1974, which established her 'innocent sexuality' route and became her biggest early hit, 'Hitonatsu no Keiken' (Lyrics by Kazuya Senke, Music by Shunichi Tokura, Arrangement by Koji Makaino). The important point here is the fact that Koji Makaino, the composer and arranger of 'Part 1,' was in charge of the arrangement for 'Hitonatsu.' I will give you the most precious thing a girl has, I will give you the precious thing I kept deep inside my small chest.'innocent sexuality' route
'Hitonatsu no Keiken'Arrangement by Koji MakainoKoji Makaino, who was in charge of the arrangement for 'Hitonatsu'the most precious thing a girl has, I will give you the precious thing I kept deep inside my small chest
When you listen to the two songs side by side, you notice that the song structures are surprisingly similarto each other. While 'Part 1' features a grand, opera-like orchestration from the introduction, once the vocals begin, the unique rhythm and melody, with their rapid-fire, staccato speed, are strikingly similar. Since the arranger for both songs is the same Mr. Makaino, this is clearly his intention, but that is not all. The entire piece is a monologue by the protagonist, and the theme is midsummer, specifically a once-in-a-lifetime experience; in these ways, the worldview and basic structure of the songs are entirely shared. However,
the meaning is completely inverted.
To
dedicate to the one I love, I have kept it pure. It is okay to be stained, it is okay to cry. Love is precious.
Everyone experiences it only once
. The sweet trap of temptation. 'Hitonatsu' (One Summer) sings of
a girl's expectations, anxieties, and devotion toward
the future she is about to dedicate to him. 'Part 1' sings of a grown woman's regret and self-reproach regarding her past words and behavior, which she had dedicated to a younger man. It is well known that Yoko Aki made 'Playback Part 2' an answer song to the previous year's Japan Record Award-winning song 'Katte ni Shiyagare,' but at the same time, she also made 'Part 1' a self-answer song to Momoe Yamaguchi's own early biggest hit, 'Hitonatsu no Keiken'.
Actually, there is one more important piece of circumstantial evidence for this hypothesis. That is the fact that at the time, Yoko Aki had just finished
writing the lyrics for an important song. That job was requested by
Mr. Sakai, the same producer as Momoe Yamaguchi, and it was a song provided for the last single of an idol unit that was very popular at the time. That is the Candies' 'Hohoemi-gaeshi' (released in February 1978).
'Hohoemi-gaeshi'
As soon as it was released, it became the Candies' biggest hit, not only recording a million sales but also becoming a major topic of conversation along with their words, 'I want to return to being an ordinary girl', which would certainly be a 'Buzzword Award' winner today (it didn't exist back then, as it started in 1984). And 'Playback' was produced during a time when this song was creating a massive social phenomenon leading up to the Candies' disbandment at their final concert at Korakuen Stadium on April 4th. This song was, as Yoko Aki later said, 'imagined as a move to a bright future, typical of the Candies' (which would be called graduation today). And she said the idea of
scattering the titles of their hit songs into the lyrics flashed in her mind. Therefore, at the time of producing 'Playback,' she was witnessing the social phenomenon caused by 'Hohoemi-gaeshi,' which was born from her own idea of weaving past hit song titles into the lyrics that she had conceived herself.
Against this social backdrop, Yoko Aki was presented with the theme of "the sound of a tape rewinding" by the same producer, Sakai, under the title Playback. The theme of 'the sound of a tape rewinding'. Therefore, it was
a very natural progression for the idea of playing back past hit songs to emerge. In fact, 'Part 2' did play back 'Katte ni Shiyagare.' It would be unnatural to think that 'Part 1,' which was produced beforehand, was not the same. It is natural to consider 'Part 1' as
a self-answer song to Momoe Yamaguchi's own biggest early hit.
Looking back like this, 'Playback' might have been the very origin that a girl had to look back on before taking a step toward the future.
To put it more clearly, in 'Playback,' Yoko Aki implicitly suggests that the woman who feigned extensive experience and put on a brave front to give her first experience to a younger man is the grown-up version of that girl from 'Hitonatsu no Keiken.' ⦿ 'Hitonatsu no Keiken'
"I will give you a girl's most precious thing" A girl offering herself to the future
⦿ 'Playback'
Pretending to be experienced bravado Self-reproach for the fact that it was actually
"her first experience" A present that can only be spoken of in the form of reminiscence
These two are the same person over time. That is why it is cruel, and that is why it is literary. The boldness and devoted attitude of throwing oneself away remains. However, on top of that, her sensitivity has become richer and more delicate, her self-consciousness has become excessive, and regret and self-judgment have been layered on.
The danger of being bold yet delicate, the self-consciousness that tries to hide devotion
This depicts not only the 'growth' of a personality but also the complexification of the mental landscape.
It is dramatic and literary Aki magic, and it is Aki's production method itself. What Yoko Aki is doing is the reappearance of the same subject who has taken on the passage of time.
Therefore, do not listen to 'Part 1' as a song that failed to become a 'Playback,' but rather
'Hitonatsu no Keiken Chapter 2'
as a song that should be listened to as such. By
listening to these two songs in order, you can re-experience Momoe Yamaguchi's transformation from "a shy girl with shadows to a bold and stimulating woman." If you actually try it, I think the meaning of 'Playback' will be re-recognized and its impact will be conveyed.
And with this song as a turning point, I think you can feel her shedding her former
"blue sexuality" route and completely molting into the adult route of "red passion," represented by the red Porsche.
👉 If there is even one part that makes you think "I see," I would be happy if you could support me with a ♡ (Like).